Portable, one-hand-operable labeling machine

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED PORTABLE, ONE-HAND OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE COMPRISING A MACHINE FRAME HAVING A PALM-GRIP HANDLE INTERGRALLY JOINED THERETO, A GRIP LEVER OPERATED BY MANUAL SQUEEZING THEREOF, A ROLL HOLDER HOLDING ROTATABLY A ROLL OF LABEL TAPE COATED ON ONE SURFACE THEREOF WITH AN ADHESIVE MATERIAL AND HAVING PARTIAL CUTS ALIGNED IN THE TAPE TRANSVERSE DIRECTION AND SPACED AT EQUAL INTERVALS IN THE TAPE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, A TAPE ADVANCING MEANS DRIVEN BY MOVEMENTS OF SAID GRIP LEVER TO ENGAGE SUCCESSIVELY SAID CUTS TO ADVANCE SAID LABEL TAPE STEP BY STEP TOWARD A DISPENSING OPEININ OF THE MACHINE FRAME, A TAPE CUTTING DEVICE DRIVEN BY MOVEMENT OF SAID GRIP LEVER TO CUT SUCCESSIVELY THE LABEL AT SAID CUTS, A PRINTING DEVICE DRIVEN BY MOVEMENT OF SAID GRIP LEVER TO IMPRINT INSCRIPTIONS ON EACH OF SAID CUT PIECES OF THE LABEL TAPE, AND A TAPE APPLYING DEVICE DISPOSING IN THE VICINITY OF THE DISPENSING OPENING OF THE MACHINE AND OPERATING TO PRESS EACH LABEL PIECE ONTO AN ARTICLE TO CAUSE SAID ADHESIVE MATERIAL TO STICK THE CUT PIECE TO THE ARTICLE. THE TAPE ADVANCING MEANS HAS AT LEAST ONE PAWL TOOTH FOR ENGAGING AT LEAST ONE OF THE CUTS OF THE LABEL TAPE, SAID PAWL TOOTH UNDERGOING AN INTERMITTENT RECIPROCATING MOTION RESULTING FROM ONE CYCLE OF THE SQUEEZING AND RELEASING THE GRIP LEVER. THE TAPE ADVANCING MEANS MAY BE A TAPE ADVANCING ROLLER PROVIDED AROUND ITS CYLINDRICAL SURFACE WITH PROJECTING PAWL TEETH SPACED AT CONSTANT CIRCUMFERENTIAL INTERVALS EQUAL TO THE SPACING INTERVALS OF THE CUTS OF THE LABEL TAPE, AND MAY BE A CONVEYER TYPE MECHANISM. DISCLOSED ALSO ARE VARIOUS KINDS OF THE CUTTING MECHANISM ADAPTED TO CARRY OUT IMPROVED AND EFFECTIVE CUTTING OF THE CUTS OF THE LABEL TAPE. THE ADHESIVE MATERIAL MAY BE PROVIDED WITH A MOISTURE APPLYING DEVICE FOR APPLYING MOISTURE THERETO.

Jan. 15, Yo SATQ ET AL Re. 27,889

PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE Original Filed June 19, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

Jill. 15, o SATO ET AL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 19, 1968 cm mm K o mm Hu Q Q imam wvv v @N 8 mo mm W. K WF R V -o l] 1 o l 4, a 7A 2 V 1 III 0 8 c- I L M 7 6. FINN-II g mp I \I1 I l 7 Nv f O O x\ \S Lin 4 Q N OE Jan. 15, 1974 YO SATQ ET AL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet I5 Original Filed June 19, 1968 Jill. 15, 1974 1 YO SATO ET AL RC- 27,889

PORTABLE, ONE-HANDOIERAHLH LABELING MACHINE Original Filed June 19, 1968 16 Sheets-Shoat 4 FIG. 4

Jan. 15, 1974 o s o ETAL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE Original Filed June 19, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

FIG. 8

FIG. 9

Jan. 15, 1974 YQ s o E'TAL Re.

PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE Original Filed June 19, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 6 Jill. 15, 1974 o SATO ET AL Re. 27,889

PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE Original Filed June 19, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 Jill. 15, 1974 YQ SATO ET AL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE l6 Shea ts-Sheet 8 Original Filed June 19, 1968 Jan. 15, 1974 o SATO ET AL PORTABLE, ONE'HAND'OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 9 Original Filed June 19, 1968 Jill- 15, o SATO ET AL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 10 Original Filed June 19, 1968 Jan. 15, o SATO ET AL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPEHABLE LABELING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 11 Original Filed June 19, 1968 Jan. 15, 1974 Yo -r ETAL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING momma Original Filed June 19, 1968 16 Sheats-5heet 12 Jan. 15, Yo SATO ET AL PORTABLE, ONEHANDOPERABLE LABELING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 13 Original Filed June 19, 1968 FIG. 27

Jill. 15, 1974 Yo SATO ET AL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet. 14

Original Filed June 19, 1968 YO SATO ET AL PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE l6 SheetsSheet 15 Jan. 15, 1974 Original Filed June 19, 1968 Jan. 15, YO SATQ E'TAL PORTABLE, ONE-HANDOPERABLE LABELING MACHINE Original Filed June 19,

16 Sheets-Sheet 16 FIG. 32

FIG. 3|

United States Patent 27,889 PORTABLE, ONE-HAND-OPERABLE LABELING MACHINE Yo Sato, Tokyo, Kiyoji Nagashima, Ageo, Yoshio Murata, Omiya, Kazunosuke Makino, Ageo, Eiichi Matsushima, Omiya, and Sozo Izumihara, Kawaguchi, Japan, assignors to Sato Kiko Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan Original No. 3,551,251, dated Dec. 29, 1970, Ser. No. 738,176, June 19, 1968. Application for reissue July 17, 1972, Ser. No. 272,136 Claims priority, application Japan, June 26, 1967, 42/40,906; Aug. 17, 1967, 42/52,452; Sept. 16, 1967, 42/59,244; Sept. 22, 1967, 42/80,476; Nov. 11, 1967, 42/72,485; Feb. 20, 1968, 43/10,474 Int. Cl. B32b 31/00; B44c 7/00 U.S. Cl. 156-384 6 Claims Matter enclosed in heavy brackets If] appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved portable, one-hand operable labeling machine comprising a machine frame having a palm-grip handle integrally joined thereto, a grip lever operated by manual squeezing thereof, a roll holder holding rotatably a roll of label tape coated on one surface thereof with an adhesive material and having partial cuts aligned in the tape transverse direction and spaced at equal intervals in the tape longitudinal direction, a tape advancing means driven by movements of said grip lever to engage successively said cuts to advance said label tape step by step toward a dispensing opening of the machine frame, a tape cutting device driven by movement of said grip lever to cut successively the label tape at said cuts, a printing device driven by movement of said grip lever to imprint inscriptions on each of said cut pieces of the label tape, and a tape applying device disposing in the vicinity of the dispensing opening of the machine and operating to press each label piece onto an article to cause said adhesive material to stick the cut piece to the article. The tape advancing means has at least one pawl tooth for engaging at least one of the cuts of the label tape, said pawl tooth undergoing an intermittent reciprocating motion resulting from one cycle of the squeezing and releasing the grip lever. The tape advancing means may be a tape advancing roller provided around its cylindrical surface with projecting pawl teeth spaced at constant circumferential intervals equal to the spacing intervals of the cuts of the label tape, and may be a conveyer type mechanism. Disclosed also are various kinds of the cutting mechanism adapted to carry out improved and effective cutting of the cuts of the label tape. The adhesive material may be provided with a moisture applying device for applying moisture thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a portable, one-handoperable labeling machine, and more particularly to said machine capable of effectively applying cut pieces to articles in a successively continuous manner.

Hitherto, the conventional hand-operable labeling machines are very complicated, inconvenient and liable to be impaired.

The nature, principle, details, and utility of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals.

"ice

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the entire assembly of one example of the labeler according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken along the plane indicated by line IIII in FIG. 1 as viewed from the left side and shows the labeler in the normal state of rest;

FIG. 3 is also a section along a line II-II but shows the state wherein the hand lever is in a fully gripped position, and the label roll holder is in an opened position;

FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view showing the exterior appearance of the labeler;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a presser for applying and pressing down a label;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the essential organization of the printing mechanism, label cutting mechanism, and the label advancing mechanism in coupled state;

FIG. 7 is a left side elevational view, in vertical section, of the printing mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a label advancing pawl;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view, in vertical section of the label cutting mechanism and the label advancing mechanism shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a fragment of a continuous label structure suitable for use in the labeler of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another example of the label advancing mechanism according to the invention;

FIG. 12 is a plan veiw of the mechanism shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view, in vertical section, showing a conveyer belt in the mechanism shown in FIGS. 11 and 12;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross section of the belt shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a left side elevational view, partly in section, showing the essential organization of anther example of a labeler embodying the invention;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged, fragmentary, left side elevational view, partly in section, showing a label moistening mechanism of the labeler shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a plan view showing the essential parts of the mechanism shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a cross section taken along the plane indicated by line XVIIIXVIII in FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a cross section taken along the plane indicated by line XIXXIX in FIG. 16;

FIGS. 20 and 21 are enlarged perspective views showing examples of moisture applying elements suitable for use in the labeler shown in FIGS. 16 through 19;

FIG. 22 is a left side elevational view, with parts cut away and certain parts omitted, showing a modification of the labeler illustrated in FIG. 15;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged, fragmentary, left side elevational view showing an essential part of the labeler shown in FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a cross section taken along the plane indicated by line XXIVXXIV in FIG. 22;

FIG. 25 is an enlarged, fragmentary, left side elevational view showing a nozzle assembly for the labeler illustrated in FIGS. 22 through 24;

FIG. 26 is a left side elevational view, partly in vertical section, showing still another example of a labeler embodying the invention;

FIG. 27 is an enlarged perspective view of a label cutting device in the labeler illustrated in FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a left side elevational view, partly in vertical section, showing a further example of a labeler embodying the invention;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the labeler shown in FIG. 28 with its left side plate removed;

FIG. 30 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view showing an operating mechanism for a label cutter blade backup plate;

FIG. 31 is an enlarged perspective view showing a label cutter mechanism;

FIG. 32 is a front elevational view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 31;

FIGS. 33(a) and 33(b) are prespective views showing a label advancing pawl and a label cutter blade;

FIG. 34 is a perspective view showing a belt mechanism for advancing labels;

FIG 35 is a perspective view of a spring plate for holding labels;

FIG. 36 is an exploded perspective view showing the spring plate shown in FIG. 35 in disassembled state; and

FIG. 37 is a side elevational view of a printing rotating device.

For consistency in designating directions, the directions toward the left and the right as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 are herein referred to as front (or forward) and rear", and the directions toward the top and bottom as viewed in FIG. 1 are referred to as right and left." Upper and lower and like terms relate to the upper and lower directions as viewed in elevational views such as FIGS. 1, l and 26. All rotational directions are those as viewed from the left toward the right.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 through illustrating one example of an embodiment to the present invention, the labeler shown therein has a frame structure constituting a partial casing and comprising side plates 2 and 3, a connector plate 1 bridging across and connecting side plates 2 and 3 at their upper edges, a handle 7 serving as a rear cover and having a label roll support or holder 8, and a bottom plate, these elements of the frame structure being fastened principally by screws.

The side plates 2 and 3 have relatively narrow extensions 4 directed rearward. The handle 7 near its rear end is pivotally connected by a screw-fastened horizontal pin 6 to the rear ends of the extensions 4, and its holder 8 rotatably holds a reel 9 of a continuous tape of a material for labels. As described more fully hereinafter, this tape consists of an adhesive bearing tape for labels in laminar combination with a protective tape 11.

A ring 10 for hanging the labeler, a cutter 12 for the protective tape 11, and the rear end of an upper guide plate 13 for the protective tape are fastened by screws 14 and nuts 15 to the rear end of the handle 7. The upper guide plate 13 extends forward to a point below and close to the periphery of a full reel 9 in amounted position and is fixed at a suitable part by screws 17 to the holder 8.

The handle 7 has a hollow construction substantially in the form of a channel with downwardly directed flanges and an upper web forming the palm grip of the handle. The flanges of the handle 7 at its pivoted part have forwardly projecting parts 90 on which the rear ends of downwardly directed flanges 20 of a lower guide plate 19 for protective tape are pivoted by transverse pins 18, which are disposed slightly forward of and parallel to the aforementioned pivot pin 6. Parts of the flanges 20, near their front ends, are provided with guide slot structures 21 through which is passed a transverse pin 23 fixed to side plates 2 and 3.

The front extremity of the lower guide plate 19 is normally disposed in the close proximity of a guide roller 49 when the handle 7 is in closed state against the extensions 4 of the side plates 2 and 3, at which time the upper and lower guide plates 13 and 19 for the protective tape are spaced apart by a gap 24 between their mutually facing surfaces through which the protective tape 11 can easily pass in guided movement toward the rear part of the handle 7.

A hand grip lever 25 is pivoted at approximately its middle part by a transverse shaft pin 26 at the rear parts of the side plates 2 and 3 near the root parts of the extensions 4. A tension spring 28 is stretched between the pin 6 at the rear part of the handle 7 and a transverse pin fixed to the grip lever 25 at a short distance above the shaft pin 26 and imparts a torque on the lever 25 urging it to rotate clockwise, whereby the rear hand grip arm thereof is urged away from the handle 7.

The front arm of this lever 25 is in the form of a yoke 29, formed by vertical left and right plates, which supports a first printing device 34 for imprinting inscriptions such as the name of a product and the name of a shop on labels, a second printing device 30 for imprinting marks such as prices, a label cutter knife 31, a transverse guide pin 60, and other parts.

The guide pin is within an arcuate guide slot 102 in a guide plate 58, the upper end of which is pivoted by a pin 57 on the connector plate 1 or side plates 2 and 3. The lower part of the guide plate 58 is pin jointed by a pin jointed by a pin 51 to link member 62 of a label advancing device.

In the label advancing device, as shown in FIG. 6, an advancing pawl is pivoted at its rear part by a transverse pin 67 on the lower front end of the link member 62, and the free end of this pawl 65 is urged downward by a spring 66. Pawl teeth 64 sloping forwardly are formed on the front leading edge of the pawl 65 as shown in FIG. 8 and enter into a label guide plate 81 connected at its rear end to a shaft 50. The both ends of the above mentioned pin 67 are fitted in an engaged with inclined guide glots 103 formed in side plates and 70a.

The yoke 29 of the grip lever 25 further supports rocker levers 54 pivoted thereon by pins 55 as shown in FIG. 6. These levers 54 are provided at their rear ends with cutout slots 52 in which is fitted the shaft 50 of a roller 51 for changing the direction of travel of the label tape. The front ends of the levers 54 are also provided with cutout slots 53 in which are fitted side lugs 32 of a label cutter knife 31. These side lugs 32 are fitted also in vertical slots 105 formed in the side walls of the yoke 29, as shown in FIG. 9, whereby the knife 31 can move in the vertical direction.

The label cutter knife 31 is free to move thus in contact with the printing device 34 as indicated in FIG. 7 but independently of the printing device 34. This printing device 34 has a support member 34a provided in its upper part with a vertical hole 35 in which a pin 37 with a needle-like tip is urged upward by a spring 36 and stopped at a certain position by plate 38.

The support member 34a is partly enclosed by a type holder 40 having a bent lug 41 provided with a through hole 42 with which the tip of the pin 37 is engaged. The type holder 40 at its lower end supports a rubber type plate 43 bonded thereto by an adhesive.

Below the aforementioned label guide plate 81, a label tape receiving base 69 is fastened by screws to the side plates 2 and 3 of the frame structure. As indicated in FIG. 9, this label tape receiving base 69 is provided with longitudinal saw-tooth ridges 77 of knife-edge form on its upper face, with grooves 80 in positions confronting and aligned with two knife edges of the knife 31, and with belt grooves 79 for receiving spring belts 75. The depth of the belt grooves 79 is such that the upper surfaces of the spring belts fitted, therein lie in substantially the same plane as the crests of the saw-tooth ridges 77. A gap is provided between this surface and the aforementioned label guide plate 81 for passage of the label tape therethrough.

The spring belts 75 are disposed in an endless form around grooved rollers 73 and 71 of different size rotatably supported at the ends of the label tape receiving base 69.

A plurality of label pressing fingers 82 are pivotably supported in side-by-side arrangement on the lower front parts of the side plates 2 and 3 of the frame and project forward from the frame structure. Each finger, which has a configuration as shown in FIG. 5, has one or two holes 82a in its upward projecting rear part, through which a common transverse pin 84 is passed. The diameter of holes 82a is made considerably larger than the diameter of the pin 84 so that each finger 82 can move also vertically relatively to the pin 84.

A spring 83 for each finger 82 is provided around the pin 84, one end of the spring pressing against the bottom of the corresponding finger and the other end being anchored on a pin 84a secured to the side plates 2 and 3. Each finger 82 is thereby urged downward by spring force. The plurality of label pressing fingers 82 pivotally supported on pin 84 and urged by individual springs 83 thus form, as a whole, a press-down device for labels dispensed from the labeler.

The aforementioned label guide plate 81 has a front end which is bent slightly downward and terminates at a front edge which is close to the rear ends of the fingers 82. Below the front end of the guide plate 81, there is disposed a forwardly inclined guide piece 104 for contacting and guiding the lower surfaces of labels being dispensed.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the aforementioned first and second printing devices 34 and 30 are provided respectively with ink rollers 46 and 44 made essentially of felt impregnated with ink and rotatably supported on roller holders 47 and 48 which are backed by spring force.

FIG. illustrates a fragment of a laminated tape consisting of a laminar combination of a protective tape 11 and a label tape 87 bearing an adhesive 86 on its surface facing the protective tape.

The label tape 87 is provided at regular intervals in its longitudinal direction with groups of transversely aligned partial cuts, each group consisting of a center cut 88a and side cuts 88b and 88c. These groups of cuts divide the label tape into divisions each forming a single label. The center cuts 88a are provided so as to afford parts of the label tape 87 Where the advancing pawl 65 can catch in a positive manner, while the side cuts 88b and 88c. are provided principally for facilitating the cutting of the label tape by the label cutter.

The example labeler of the above described essential organization according to the present invention operates in the following manner.

( 1) Tape loading Handle 7 combined with tape holder 8 is manually swung open in the arrow direction B in FIG. 2 around pin 6 relative to the remainder of the labeler. A reel 9 of continuous tape is loaded into holder 8. At the free end of the reeled taped, label tape 87 is peeled away from protective tape 11. The separated protective tape 11 is held against the lower surface of upper guide plate 13, while the label tape thus separated is inserted into the gap between lower guide plate 19 and guide roller 49.

Although this gap is narrow when handle 7 is normally closed, it opens to facilitate insertion of the label tape when handle 7 is opened since the projecting part 90 at the rear part of handle 7 rotates together therewith, and a lower guide plate 19, which is pivotally connected at its rear end to this part 90, is thereby pulled rearward, whereby the front edge thereof retracts away from roller 49.

One or more fingers are inserted through the aperture (part C) between the lower rear part of side plates 2 and 3 to pull the free ends of the label tape and pass the same around direction changing roller 51. The end of label tape 87 is further inserted into the gap between label guide plate 81 and large roll 73 to a position at which one group of partial cuts 88b, 88a, and 880 in label tape 87 is directly below pawl teeth 64.

The separated protective tape 11 is passed rearward through the space between upper guide plate 13 and lower guide plate 19 and is drawn out through the rear end of handle 7.

Handle 7 and reel holder 8 are closed (lowered) and fastened in the normal locked position to side plates 2 and 3 by suitable locking means (not shown).

(2) Label advancing and dispensing When hand gip lever 25 is squeezed and closed toward handle 7, yoke 29 descends, rotating about shaft 26. Consequently, pin 60 inserted through slot 102 in the guide plate 58 permits this guide plate 58 to rotate counterclockwisely about pin 57. That is, the lower part of guide plate 58 moves rearward. As a result, a link member 62 is pulled rearward, and a pawl 65 at the front end thereof is retracted rearward.

When the grip lever 25 is released, the above described action is reversed, and an advancing pawl 65 advances, whereupon the pawl teeth 64 enter one of the partial cuts 88 in label tape 87 and bite into spring belts 75 to cause the label tape and spring belts to advance. (When retracting, pawl teeth 64 merely slide over the label tape 87 because of their rearward inclination.) Consequently, the extreme front end of the label tape inserted between a large roll 73 and a guide plate 81 is caused to advance, riding on spring belts 75.

Thus, the pawl teeth 64 slide over the label tape 87 during retraction and, when the reach a cut 88a during advance, they pass through this cut to bite into the spring belts therebelow, causing the belts to advance toget her with the label tape. When, after an advance through a predetermined stroke, the pawl teeth are retracted, they stop at a position which is slightly to the rear of the following group of cuts 88a, 88b, and 88c since the retraction stroke is made slightly longer than the length of a single label. Therefore, during the succeeding forward stroke of pawl 65, the label tape is always advanced by the distance between the groups of cuts therein, that is, the length of one label.

Since the reverse side (lower surface) of label tape 87 passes over ridges 77 of the knife-edge form, there is no possibility of the adhesive on the reverse side of the label tape sticking to the label receiving base 69 or being damaged by abrasion.

The protective tape, which has been separated in a semi-compulsory manner form the label tape by a guide roller 49 and the front end of lower guide plate 19 close thereto and passed rearward between upper and lower guide plates 13 and 19 to the outside, is cut off suitably by the cutter 12.

(3) Printing The descending movement of yoke 29 causes a printing device 34 dismountably mounted thereon to descend as is pushes the ink roller 46 rearward, overcoming the counter force of a leaf spring 47. As a result, rubber type 43 at the lower end of type holder 40 imprints an inscription on the upper surface of a label through cutout 81a (FIG. 6) in the label guide plate 81. Similarly, the printing device 30 at the front end of yoke 29 also descends as it pushes past an ink roller 44 and imprints another inscription on a label through cutout 81b in a guide plate 81.

While it is possible to imprint the two inscriptions simultaneously on a single label, it is preferable to imprint them separately since simultaneous printing by two printing devices is difiicult because of the short length of each label and lack of space for two printing devices to operate without mutual interference. That is, the first printing device 34 is adapted to print on the front half of each label through cutout 81a of label guide plate 81, while the second printing device 39 is adapted to print on the rear half of another label is one or two labels ahead through the other cutout 81b.

The first printing device 34 may be adapted to print names such as those of shops and products, while the second printing device 30 may be adapted to print the information such as prices. In this case, it is not necessary to change the second printing device whenever the information (e.g., price) changes since this information can be changed merely by rotating the numerical digits of the device.

However, a printing type plate 43 of the first printing device must be changed to change the information there (e.g., name of a shop or product). For this purpose, type holder 40 is pushed downward against the force of spring 36, as shown in FIG. 7, and removed from the lower end of support member 34a. Thus, only the type holder 40 is taken out, and the type plate 43 bonded to its lower end is changed. The type holder 40 is then reinstalled in a simple manner by depressing the tip of pin 37 against the force of spring 36, fitting the lower end of type holder 40 against the lower end of support member 34a, and releasing the top of pin 37.

(4) Label tape cutting When the yoke 29 descends, a knife 31 also descends together with the first printing device 34 (FIG. 6), but since rocker levers 54 are also pivotally connected by pins 55 to the yoke 29, they rotate in the counterclockwise direction about the pin 50 supported by side plates 2 and 3. Consequently, as the yoke 29 descends, the knife 31 descends further than the printing device 34 by an additional displacement due to the this rotation of rocker levers 54, and the two knife edges project downward beyond the lower end of the type plate 43.

Then, as the yoke 29 and the accompanying parts descend further, knife edges enter groove 80 of the label receiving base 69 to cut the uncut connective parts of label taps 87 along the line of one group of partial cuts 88a, 88b, and 88c.

The position of descending knife edges relative to the label tape 87 is so set as to coincide with the position at which a group of partial cuts in the tape 87 stops after being advanced by the pawl teeth 64.

When the yoke 29 ascends, the knife 31 is caused by the action of rocker levers 54 to rise higher than the lower end of the first printing device 34. The purpose of causing the knife to retract further than the lower end of the printing device in this manner at times other than that of label tape cutting is to prevent the knife edges of knife 31 from damaging the felt of printing ink roller 46 when the printing device descends.

() Label application In the manner described above, the label tape is advanced on spring belts 75 of label receiving base 69, and each label is printed and then cut from the following label tape. The label thus cut is then bent downward at the bent end part of label guide plate 81 and guided to a guide member 104 and reaches a position below the label pressing fingers 82.

When this label is pressed against the surface of an article, it is caused by the adhesive thereon to adhere to the article. Since pressing fingers 82 comprise a plurality of individual fingers freely fitted on a common pin 84 and provided with respective springs, they assume displacements conforming to the surface configuration of any article against which they are pressed to press the label interposed therebetween into intimate adhesion with the article.

For example, when the label is to be stuck on an article with a surface which projects outward at the middle part of the label, the fingers 82 at the middle part are forced to retract in a floating manner counter to the forces of springs 83 (because pivot holes 82a of the pressing fingers are larger than the diameter of pin 84), all fingers 82 thereby pressing the label in a substantially uniform manner and causing it to adhere intimately to the surface in conformance with its counter.

When necessary, further pressure can be applied on the label thus applied by tilting the entire labeler in the counterclockwise direction to deflect fingers 82 further.

In a second example of an embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 11 through 14, endless flat belts are use, instead of the spring belts 75 in the preceding first example. These fiat belts are provided on their outer surfaces with several longitudinal ridges whereby to reduce the contact surface thereof with respect to the label tape and, moreover, are coated with an agent such as silicone oil to nullify or reduce the tackiness of the adhesive on the label tape with respect to the flat belts thereby to facilitate the separation of the label tape from the belts at the forward end thereof. Furthermore, the rollers around which these belts are stretched are supported in an elastic manner whereby the belts are placed constantly in a state of suitable tension.

Referring to FIG. 11, the mechanism shown therein has a stationary frame with left and right side plates 203, 203 each made up of an outer side plate 201 and an inner side plate 202 in a tight laminar disposition. Large and small conveyer rollers 204 and 205 are rotatably disposed between the side plates 203, 203 respectively near the rear and front ends thereof. A label receiving base 206 is disposed between these rollers and the side plates and secured by screws to the side plates. Alternatively, the small roller 205 may be adapted to pass through the base 206.

The large roller 204 is rotatably supported on a transverse shaft 208 supported in turn by a U-shaped frame 207, the ends of the shaft 208 being passed outward through slots 209, 209 formed in the two outer side plates. The side flange arms 211, 211 of the frame 207 are fitted in slots 210, 210 in the inner side plates 202, 202.

Each slot 209 in the outer side plate is aligned in a direction substantially parallel to the upper span of the belts and has a width approximately equal to the diameter of the roller shaft 208. Each slot 210 in the inner side plate is substantially parallel to the slot 209 and has a width approximate equal to the width of the arm 211 of the frame. These slots 209 and 210 on each side are overlappingly disposed, and the roller shaft 208 and roller frame arm 211 respectively fitted therein are free to move in the longitudinal direction of the slots.

The upper part of the label receiving base 206 slopes downward toward the front (toward the small roller 205) and has a label tape receiving surface 213 formed by several knife-edge ridges disposed parallelly in the longitudinal direction and has, moreover, belt grooves 214 for receiving belts 218. The label receiving surface 213 has at its front end 215 a steep downward slope which projects forward. At the middle part of this surface 213, there is formed a transverse groove 216 for label cutting. A compression spring 217 is provided below the upper surface 213 to impart a rearward spring force on the aforementioned roller frame 207.

The belts 218 are passed around the large and small rollers 204 and 205 and loosely fitted in respective belt grooves 214. As mentioned hereinbefore, the outer surface of each belt 218 is formed by several knife-edge ridges 219 and is coated with a substance 220 such as silicone oil to which the adhesive on the lower surface of the label tape does not readily adhere. While each belt surface 219 on the base 206 and the label receiving surface 213 lie in almost the same plane, the belt surface 15 disposed slightly higher than the label receiving surface.

Each belt 218 is provided in its interior with a plurality of longitudinally buried reinforcement filaments 221 and along its inner surface with equal spacing a plurality of transverse grooves 222.

The label tape advancing device of the above described organization is installed in the lower front part of a labeler as illustrated in FIG. 2 and operates in the following manner.

Similarly as in the operation of the preceding first example, the label tape 87 is caused by the manipulation of grip lever 25 to ride on belts 218 and be fed as it slides over the label receiving base 206. At a point above the small roller 205, label tape 87 separates away from belts 218 and, passing by the projecting part 215, arrives at a position below the pressing fingers at the lower front part of the labeler. 

